[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 28345]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray:
  Eternal Spirit, who created us for harmony, You decide the number of 
the stars and call each one by name. Lord, a challenging week beckons 
and we desperately need Your spirit, power, and wisdom.
  Long hours promise to test our patience and civility as unresolved 
issues seek to exasperate, producing discord. Help the Members of this 
body to sidestep the divisive power of contention and find common 
ground. Remind them that soft answers turn away anger. Destroy the 
winner-takes-all mentality and help them seek to understand before they 
are understood.
  Make them exemplary models of reconciliation for a nation and world 
that watch their deliberations. May their serious efforts to build 
bridges have a ripple effect that will have a positive impact on our 
Nation and world.
  We pray this in the name of the God of peace and concord. Amen.

                          ____________________